Power PARC: More Than a Machine
Some PARC members come to the gym specifically to use the NuStep.
It is one of the facility’s busiest machines. People with different mobility needs can use it for upper-body, lower-body or full-body exercise. Growing demand can mean waiting for a turn.
More people are moving at PARC than ever before. Now the equipment needs to keep up.
Project Description
The Yuel Family Physical Activity Research Centre, known as PARC, is a fully accessible gym for people living with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome and related disabilities.
PARC is raising $15,000 to purchase another NuStep Recumbent Cross Trainer. The machine costs approximately $13,000 plus taxes and provides accessible cardiovascular and strength training.
One more NuStep means more time moving and less time waiting.
Funds raised beyond the cost of the equipment will provide UBC Kinesiology students with high-quality opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom, develop their professional practice and gain practical employment experience.
All donations are eligible for a tax receipt.
Challenges and Impact of Your Support
PARC has come a long way from 5 to 10 visits a day. It now records more than 200 visits each week, with approximately 50 members visiting daily.
That growth has increased demand for accessible exercise equipment.
Specialized machines are costly, and many members rely on the NuStep as part of their routine. The NuStep gets a lot of mileage at PARC, and another machine is needed to meet growing demand.
Your gift can help:
- Purchase a new NuStep Recumbent Cross Trainer, reducing wait times for one of PARC’s most-used machines
- Expand access to exercise for people with different mobility needs
- Provide hands-on learning opportunities for UBC students
More than 70 UBC students work with PARC each year through a range of practical and course-based roles. They gain experience while learning from and with community members who have lived experience of disability.
About PARC
PARC is located within the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD) at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre.
ICORD researchers and staff, the UBC School of Kinesiology and the PARC Community Engagement Committee help guide the facility. The committee includes PARC members with lived experience of spinal cord injury and related disabilities.
PARC is growing. A new NuStep will help more members get moving and give UBC students more chances to learn alongside them.
To learn more about this project, please visit: https://icord.org/parc/2026_fundraiser
